Croatia offside turned on one touch in the 103rd minute. VAR erased the equalizer, and Portugal kept a 2-1 lead in Toronto on Thursday, July 2, in the World Cup round of 32.
Gonçalo Ramos had put Portugal in front in the 94th minute, and that goal stood as the winner after the late Croatia finish was wiped away. Portugal advanced to the round of 16, while Croatia were denied the leveler that had appeared to force a different finish.
Ramos Seizes The Lead
Ramos finished for Portugal in the 94th minute to make it 2-1. That left Croatia chasing the match into the 10 minutes of stoppage time that followed.
The final stretch mattered because the margin stayed at one goal until the last sequence. Portugal did not need another chance after the late review went their way.
Perišić Starts The Scramble
Ivan Perišić sent in a long cross from the right, and the ball moved through a crowd of players before bouncing off Renato Veiga's head. From there it deflected off Mario Pašalić near the goal and was turned home by Joško Gvardiol.
Igor Matanović got the faintest of headed touches in the buildup, and that touch is where the offside call settled. Mario Pašalić was in an offside position when the ball touched Matanović's head, then ran back onside toward the ball after it bounced off Veiga. Because Veiga's touch was not intentional, the offside judgment stayed on Pašalić when the play finished.
VAR In Toronto
The goal initially looked enough to equalize the match. The review changed that in the 103rd minute and kept Portugal in front.
For Croatia, the sequence ended with the ball in the net and no reward on the board. For Portugal, the decision sent them into the round of 16 with the 2-1 result intact.
